


In spiritu

by Trinity12



Series: Felix Culpa [3]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Christmas, Family, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 17:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10667154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trinity12/pseuds/Trinity12
Summary: It is their third christmas together.They have a visitor.Timestamp set the christmas after the epilogue of in nomine.





	In spiritu

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SABandBAB (BABandSAB)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BABandSAB/gifts), [Faraway22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faraway22/gifts).



> This was meant to be an easter present, but campnano (my upcoming j2 big bang) and, well, easter demanded my attention.  
> I hope you like it.  
> Unbeta'd, what's new...  
> R&R is appreciated.  
> Love,  
> the shadowcat

It's December 26th.  
Jared has been pacing for the last twenty minutes and Jensen feels just as anxious.  
»Do you think she will still like me?« Jared doesn't stop, just turns and walks over to the other side of the room again.  
»You have been talking on the phone for hours, I think it is safe to say she still likes you«, Jensen tries to calm Jared down a bit.  
»Still, it is something else to come face to face, I mean, how will she react when she sees us...«  
The door bell stops any more words from coming out.  
Jared looks like he might pass out for a second before squaring his shoulders and going to answer the front door.  
Marianne is faster than him.  
»Hello, Aunt Marianne«, he hears Bethany's happy voice.

Then he makes it around the corner and sees her.  
She has grown, the last time he has seen her she had been barely above his knee and now... She is tall, for a seven year old.  
Her face lights up when she sees him. »Unca Jared!«  
»Hey, little bugger«, Jared smiles.

»I will pick her up in about three hours. I expect there to be no talk of the abomination«, his sister tells Marianne and then she is gone. Doesn't hear Marianne mutter: »Don't worry, we won't talk about you.«  
Jared doesn't dwell on it. He is preoccupied with his niece who has attached herself to his middle, the zipper of her small backpack digging into his skin as he wraps his arms around her.  
»I am so happy to see you!«

It comes out muffled against his shirt.  
»Me too, little one, me too.« He squeezes her. »Now, let me have a look at you.«  
Taking a step back he keeps a hand on her shoulder. »You've grown, so much.«  
»Your hair did too«, she laughs.  
Jared wonders how he could have forgotten that she has dimples like him.  
Marianne looks at her nephew, quietly says "I'll leave you alone" and slips out the door, smiling.

 

The moment Jared leaves the living room Jensen allows his heart to beat double time.

He hears voices in the hallway. Despite how he tried to assure his husband, he is scared. Bethany only knows him through stories and Jensen doesn't think her mother told her nice ones. He doesn't know how much Jared told her. He doesn't eavesdrop when he is on the phone, just hears his husband laugh sometimes.

He looks up when he hears their chatting come closer.  
»Will you let me braid it?«  
She sounds happy.  
Jared laughs in response, saying "Maybe" as they enter. Jensen stands up.

Bethany spots him and the smile stays on her face. »I am Bethany, Jared's niece and you are Jensen, right?«  
»The one and only«, Jensen replies, shaking her hand and trying to connect the girl infront of him to the shrimp who almost didn't let him enter the house. »I remember last time we met you looked at me at lot differently, like I might try to rob you.«  
Her smile dims a bit when she says: »I know. Momma says I shouldn't have let you in, because you are evil and ruined everything.«  
Jensen's eyes flick to Jared, who is looking like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over his head.  
Bethany shrugs, continues like what she said means nothing. »I don't believe her. Unca Jared likes you, so you can't be that bad.«  
Jared huffs then, hiding a smile.  
Bethany tugs at Jensen's hand, signaling him to lean down so she can whisper in his ear, like she is telling him a secret.  
»I think you make him happy.«  
»I try my best«, Jensen replies.  
Before he can get up her arms wrap around his neck, in a hug that seems to be a Padalecki family specialty.  
»Thank you.«  
Jensen hugs her back.  
She lets go and takes off her backpack.  
»Granny made cookies that I have to give you. She said they are supposed to be christmas trees but they look more like green little aliens. They taste good though«, she explains while rummaging around in it.  
»Thanks, Beth«, Jared fluffs her hair.  
Jensen can see his eyes shining in the candlelight.  
They sit down on the couch, Bethany squeezing in between them, and share the bag of misshapen, but delicious christmas cookies as Bethany asks them question after question about the most random things, talking like a waterfall.  
  
Later when they are lying in bed, Bethany on her way home after making them promise to see her again soon, Jensen brushes a stray strand of hair behind Jared's ear.  
»Are you happy?«, he asks, memories of the day and a time long past, when Jared was still just a guy sitting on the other side of his desk, swirling together in his head.  
Jared bites his lip. »I think so.«  
He turns so he is facing Jensen, nudges against the tip of his nose with his own, speaks the next words into the space between them, hushed, like they are to be protected. »I mean, I still get sad sometimes, who doesn't? But... Now the sadness is just a superficial layer, you know? It passes and underneath the sadness I am happy. With my life, myself, the person next to me. It wasn't like that when I met you. Now though... I can allow myself to be sad, because I know I will return to being happy. I hope that makes sense... Are you?«

  
Jensen kisses the tip of his nose.

»Yeah. I think so.«


End file.
